


A Mouthful of Roses

by BathoryAngel



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Sad, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 01:08:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16566692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BathoryAngel/pseuds/BathoryAngel
Summary: Leonard Snart comes home from the Legends for a small break. What he found awaiting him, nothing could prepare him for.





	A Mouthful of Roses

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry in advance. This is super sad, but I just had to get it out.

Barry was having a relatively good day. The Legends were back! For the first time since they started this mission, they had returned to Central City! They landed outside STAR labs, strong-armed into a break after…what must have been a difficult mission in their quest to end Savage.

Martin Stein stayed long enough to say his hellos before heading out to see his wife. Jax left with him, intent on spending time with his mother.

Rip Hunter stayed on the ship, planning and plotting away with the ship’s AI. Ray and Sara stayed at the Labs, getting to know Team Flash a bit better in the start of their stay in this time. The Hawks had left for some time alone. Captain Cold and Heatwave also made themselves scarce.

Hours passed, with old and new friends catching up. Finally, Barry extracted himself to seek out an old foe-turned-hesitant-ally. Leonard Snart was at Saints and Sinners, just as Barry had hoped he would be. Heatwave was nowhere to be seen.

Barry plopped down into the bar-stool next to him with a jubilant smile. He had planned to gently rib Snart over his turn towards heroics. Wanted to tell him how proud he was. How much he believed in him.

Snart’s expression cut that excitement off at the heels. He was slouched over his drink, cradling his head in his hand. He didn’t even look up when Barry sat down.

“Not now, Scarlet.” He moaned, finishing off his glass of amber liquid before signalling for a refill.

“What happened?” Barry asked, motioning for a drink as well. Considering the moisture he had never seen before filling the man’s eyes, he suspected Snart might need a sympathetic ear. And that this might take awhile.

“Go home, Barry.” Snart sighed, curling further into himself.

They sat in silence after that, Snart brooding and Barry watching him close as they went through round after round. It wasn’t until the bartender was eyeing Snart like he wanted to cut him off that the man finally spoke.

“She’s gone.” Was all he said, sucking back the last of the liquid ease to his pain this establishment would provide him tonight.

“Who’s gone?” Barry asked quietly, shifting closer.

Snart fumbled for bills instead of answering. Barry saved him the struggle, closing out both their tabs before leading the man out.

“I, uh…” Barry scratched his head. “Where…is there somewhere I can take you?”

Len looked down and shook his head. Sighing, Barry bit the bullet and lead them into an alley before flashing back to Joe’s house. He would be with the Legends at STAR for awhile yet. They had time.

Len blinked at the new surroundings, sparing only a glance before sinking into the couch. Barry shifted from foot-to-foot before settling next to him.

“Was it Lisa?” Barry asked quietly, seeing and feeling the pain this man was portraying. She was the only woman in Snart’s life Barry knew of to make him feel like this.

Cold just snorted. “Lisa’s fine. Mick picked her up for drinks when I went to check on….on mom.”

He chokes on the last word, and Barry feels his heart ache in sympathy.

“Never heard you talk about your mom.” Barry says gently.

“Yeah.” Len huffs. “She was shit more often than not. Left first chance she got. Not that I can blame her. But she always gave us a place to stay, if dad got too bad. Even if it was just the backseat of her car after she was evicted for the hundredth time. Whatever else she was….she was always there. When Lise and I really needed her…she was there.”

Barry stays quiet, knowing the pain of….loosing a mother. Because he already knows that’s what happened. He saw it in the mirror often enough growing up. He can recognize that look in Snart’s eyes now.

“She was diabetic.” Len elaborates. “Finally got her on healthcare. Lisa and I payed for it but…it had already been too long. Started when she was just a kid. Seven. Having me and Lise…messed her body up. Doc said another kid would kill her. Still remember calling an ambulance on her when I was four and didn’t know what else to do when I found her….unresponsive from low blood sugar. Got worse over the years, even with trying to pay for the best docs and meds thievery could afford. Makes sense, that going off on a time machine would result in me coming back just in time to…to see her…” Len chokes off, moisture finally slipping past his eyes. Barry wraps him close, clenching his own eyes in memory of the pain a mother’s passing can bring.

“She had started having seizures. When her sugar levels dropped.” Len sniffs. “Should have had someone with her. But…I don’t know how long she had been low. How long she was seizing by the time I got there. Blood was everywhere. She was biting through her _tongue,_ Barry. She couldn’t _stop_ it. I tried….I _tried _…__ She was choking. Drowning in her own blood. I grabbed a wooden spoon and tried prying her jaw open to release her tongue but….turned her head to the side so she could _breathe _…__ ”

A sob wracks through his frame.

“It wasn’t _enough _,__ Barry. I couldn’t even call a fucking _ambulance _.__ Both hands were trying too…trying to stop the damage. To keep her…alive. It…she bled out. There was already so much blood. On her own _bed _,__ sheets stained red. It was…darker, at the edges. Spit….sweat…moisture soaking even further than…than her _blood _.__ She…I didn’t know what to _do _,__ Barry. What the fuck do I do now? She…she’s-”

Len curls into Barry, the most emotion he has ever seen the thief display. Barry just holds him tight, understanding the pain he is going through.

“It’s okay, Len.” He soothes, ditching the last names with the comfort and empathy he tries to provide to get the man through the night. “It’s okay.”

The gut-wrenching tears finally slow as Len slumps exhausted next to him.

“I called them. An ambulance. After….after she was…”

“Does Lisa know?” Barry questions gently, rubbing circles into his back.

Len shakes his head. “Don’t want her to know. Not now. Just…just want her to have one more night believing…believing _mom_ will still be there in the morning.”

“Okay.” Barry doesn’t fight him on this. There isn’t anything that will change from Lisa knowing now instead of later other than the pain of loss will befall her sooner rather than later.

“Okay. You can stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we can tell her together, if you want.”

“Thank you.” Len breathes, burrowing further into him. “I can’t…why are you so…”

Silence falls as Len struggles to form words. Barry closes his eyes as he braces himself for his admission.

“My mom died. When I was a kid. I know what it’s like, Len. No one should have to go through that. Not alone.”

Len cries himself to sleep after that. Joe comes in later that night. He takes one look at the sleeping villain turned sometime hero and Barry’s bloodshot eyes.

“His mom just died.” Is all Barry provides. It’s enough for Joe to soften and nod his understanding.

Len sleeps on the couch that night. Barry sleeps there with him, offering whatever comfort his body heat and gentle hold provide. In the morning, Barry goes with him to find Lisa. They approach her current bolthole together, Barry tightly grasping his hand. Barry stays with them for it all. For the pain and tears and sorrow and funeral. He even throws a clod of dirt on her coffin with the few others in attendance for her burial. Because Barry knows what it’s like to loose a mother, no matter how young or old. And no one should have to go through that alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Just needed to put this out there. Came home from work today and found my mom...almost exactly as described. She made it, but...I will never forget finding her on her bed with so much blood coming from her mouth. It was a truly stressful evening and...I needed to vent the feelings that built from that. Spent about an hour going over all the possible endings where she didn't go on to fight another day. Spent an hour trying to help my mom as I thought she was really dying. So I apologize to everyone. This is definitely more for me than my readers. But if anyone was looking for a good cry, then this would be the place.


End file.
